A breeding ground for future criminals

ALWAR: Ask Fajaruddin what he wants his son to become? You will be told his son is good at picking bike locks and can operate any gun in the world. So, he sees a great future ahead for him!
Not only Fajaruddin, but children in every other household at Dhatmeeka village in Rajasthan's Bharatpur district are learning some "crime craft" from a tender age.Reason: their ancestors had been doing the same for years.
In Alwar, Bharatpur and villages along the Haryana border falling in Mewat area of Rajasthan, there are several villages where children are kept deprived of books. Instead they are imparted special training to pick vehicle locks and operate arms. They are also encouraged to learn the skill of driving vehicles at great speed.
The police in the area told TOI that in over two dozen villages, including Kaban Ka Baas, Chor Gadi, Gadhi Mewan, Badhmali, Shainas, Daula Ka Baas, Ghatmeeka, Vilakh, Nangal and Kaithwara in Bharatpur district and Katkali, Palpur, Mauli, Sikari and other villages in Alwar district are known to be safe shelters for criminals.
"There is a saying that if your bike has been stolen from say Jaipur and you want it back, you go to Chaurgarhi and some other villages in search. You will get it there. Then you pay Rs 3,000-Rs 4,000 for your own bike and buy it back," said a senior police officer.
A visit to some of these villages reveal that various state government education schemes have failed to reach the area. The schools in these villages are used by residents to keep cattle and store fodder.
Omprakash Meghwal, additional SP, Bharatpur, said that number of people involved in criminal activities from these villages could well be over 1,000.
"Children are taught skills which would enable them to steal vehicles in the future," Meghwal told TOI.
Police officials said they repeatedly arrest people from these villages, but they soon are released on bail and return to their usual business. "The villagers, especially youths, go to big cities in other districts, steal vehicles and keep them in the villages until they find a buyer," said the officer.
Police parties were also attacked when efforts were made to nab the lifters in the past.
One Raseed, a resident of Chor Gadi, made an unusual demand when TOI asked him about what the state government should do for the area's development.
"There should be a jail near the village. When I am arrested and put in jail, my family members face problems visiting me," said Raseed. He admitted he was involved in over a dozen criminal cases.